


Forever and Always

by alwaysgocrazy



Series: Love Through Song [6]
Category: Stitchers (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-24
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-05-03 03:42:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5275169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alwaysgocrazy/pseuds/alwaysgocrazy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She's sitting at the table, the hours get later<br/>He was supposed to be here<br/>She's sure he would've called<br/>She waits a little longer, there's no one in the driveway<br/>No one's said they've seen him<br/>Why, is something wrong?</p>
<p>*Inspired by Parachute's "Forever and Always*</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forever and Always

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't kill me after this! I'm crying too, don't worry! Sobbing, if I'm being truthful.
> 
> This is inspired by Parachute's "Forever and Always." If you haven't heard the song, you have to listen to it. I followed it almost to a T because it's just so beautiful, so unless you want to know how the whole thing goes and haven't head the song, I'd suggest waiting until after reading to listen to it. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy anyway!

She sat at the dining room table, her leg bouncing nervously. Where was he? It was close to ten now. He would’ve called to let her know if something was up, right? He would’ve let her know if there was traffic.

She got up to check the driveway. Maybe he was there just sitting in the car for a bit. But there was no car. It was empty like the last time she checked. She sighed heavily. She figured that she would reheat some dinner for herself while she waited. Maybe he just needed some space.

She sent a text to Camille, Linus, Maggie, and even Fisher to try and find out where he was. Nobody said they had seen him. Something must be wrong.

She called his cell phone. Voicemail.

“Cameron, where the _fuck_ are you? You said you left the lab at seven. It’s been three hours. If you need space, I understand, but please, just call me and tell me you’re okay. I need to know where you are. Love you.” That was the message she left. Hopefully the nervousness in her voice carried over and he would come back.

She walked back over to the window to watch. She sat on the couch, legs bent under her and her head resting on the back. She sighed heavily, staring at the driveway.

After a while (she didn’t know time so what difference did it make?), her phone rang. She grabbed her phone off the coffee table and answered it immediately, not checking the number or caller ID.

“Hello?” she said in a panic.

“Hi, is this Ms. Kirsten Clark?” asked a soft, sweet voice on the other end.

“This is she. May I ask who’s calling?” She wanted to keep her phone available in case Cameron called.

“My name is Cara. Now, Ms. Clark, I’m going to tell you something and I need you to not freak out, okay?”

“I don’t know a Cara. Sorry. I’m waiting for an important phone call, so if you don’t mind—”

“Ms. Clark, this is regarding Cameron Goodkin.”

Her heart stopped. She was frozen.

“I’m a nurse here at California Hospital. Something has happened, and we need you to come here. Are you busy?”

Her mind was clouded. It went directly back to the previous December, the time when Cameron asked her.

_He was down on one knee. Kirsten Clark was getting proposed to. Somebody wanted to marry her. After all those years of her saying she never wanted to get married, that all changed._

_She looked down at him puzzled. “What are you doing?” They were on the beach, so the sand was going to end up sticking to his legs. She knew he would whine after about it, going on and on about how weird it felt, how rough it was._

_“Just hear me out, Kirsten,” he said with a smile, holding onto her hand tightly with both of his. “I want you forever, forever and always. I want you through the good and the bad and the ugly. We can grow old together and be together forever and always.” He grabbed a small box out of his short and opened it up, revealing a white gold ring with a few diamonds. “So…Ms. Kirsten Elizabeth Clark, will you marry me?”_

She was lucky they lived close to the hospital. She still couldn’t drive, so she ran as fast as she could. She ran into the entrance. “Cameron Goodkin. Where is he?” she asked, out of breath. It was her fastest run yet. It took her ten minutes to get there when normally it took her fifteen on her jogging route.

A nurse hands her a clipboard. “Sign in first and then I’ll take you.”

“No. I need to get to him _now_ ,” she said firmly, glaring down at the nurse.

“Okay,” the nurse said softly. She typed into her computer quickly before standing. “Follow me.”

She followed closely behind the nurse, feeling like they were going through a million different halls. If she wasn’t so focused on Cameron, she might’ve taken more notice to the path to get there.

They finally arrive to the intensive care unit. She was directed to a room that had blinds closed. She took a deep breath, trying her best to keep a straight face.

That face didn’t last long. Tears began falling as she walked over to his bedside, carefully grabbing his hand to hold. “Cameron…” she murmured. There were cords everywhere. His face was covered in cuts and bruises; his right arm was casted; if she could see his torso, she knew there would be even more bruises if not full gashes.

A doctor and nurse walk in and begin to explain. “Mr. Goodkin was in a car crash. A drunk driver came up the wrong ramp on the highway as he was coming off. The police believe Mr. Goodkin was going about fifty while the other driver was going close to eighty. There’s nothing left of the car…”

The words began to merge together. They were just background noise. The doctor and nurse eventually left when they noticed she wasn’t listening. “Cameron…” she whispered softly, gently fingering through his hair. “I’m so sorry.” She planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. She rested her head next to his, hugging him tightly. “I’m so, _so_ sorry this happened.” Her heart fluttered when she felt his hand tighten slightly around her own.

“Kirsten…” a hoarse, dry voice said.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay. Don’t talk.” She leaned over to kiss his busted lips. “I’m here. We’re gonna make this right, okay? You don’t have to say or do anything right now.”

He barely nodded. She could see how much pain he was in. “Maybe I can get a nurse to give you more morphine,” she suggested.

He shook his head. “Then…I’ll sleep…” His breathing was so heavy and strained. “I want…I want…to be with you.”

She nodded, taking his head into her arms. “You’ll have me. You’ll have me forever, okay?” She felt a movement in her arms and assumed Cameron as agreeing. She cried softly into his hair, kissing it occasionally. The two fell asleep slowly, comforting each other.

***

The next day, phone calls were made and people began to visit. Cameron’s parents were snowed in in New York. They talked to him briefly on the phone, but the time difference and work made it hard. Camille, Linus, and Maggie all came in mid-morning to say hello.

Camille managed to snag Kirsten aside to talk with her. “How are you holding up?” she asked softly.

Kirsten shrugged. “O-okay. I just don’t know how this happened.” She was struggling to keep herself from crying. Around Cameron, she could be as vulnerable as she wanted and knew he wouldn’t judge or care. Being vulnerable around others was not something she was comfortable with.

“Sometimes…bad things happen to good people. You know what kind of work we do; we’re the ones constantly trying to speak for the innocent. Cameron…” She sighed, glancing over to her mentor. “Cameron was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Kirsten bit her bottom lip. “What if he dies…?” she asked Camille softly.

Camille turned to her with wide eyes. “No. No, don’t start thinking that, okay? You need to stay positive.”

“But it’s a possibility, Camille! What happens if he dies? What happens then?”

Camille forced Kirsten into a hug. “We’ll cross that bridge if we ever get there.” She fingered through her friend’s hair gently, glaring at Linus who was staring.

“Kirsten…” Cameron mumbled as loudly as he could.

Kirsten pulled away, wiping her face and looking over. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“C’mere.” He extended his arm out as far as he could.

She walked over quickly and grabbed his hand, the two of them feeling alone in the world. “I’m here, I’m here. What’s going on?” she asked nervously.

“We…we haven’t talked about…our kids…in a while.” Every word he said was strained.

She sighed a laugh, tears falling down her cheeks as she did so. “No, we haven’t.” She sniffed softly. “Y-you wanna talk about them now?”

He nodded. “Yeah…”

And they began to talk like nobody else was in the room. They talked about the little girl and little boy they would have, each having very light freckles like their mother. They talked about how they would play in their large front yard and have a big swing set in the back. They talked about the vacations they would take, how they would go to the beach often and take the kids to Disneyland once they were old enough to remember a big trip like that. They talked about the happily-ever-after they were going to have.

Everyone in the room backed away. Camille hugged Linus tightly, resisting the urge to sob. Maggie stood there with as straight of a face as she could. They listened to the grand plans the couple had while all knowing Cameron’s survival chances were low. Nobody, not even the doctors or nurses, had the heart to tell Kirsten.

Suddenly, Kirsten pulled away. She stood up and began walking out of the room.

“Kirsten?” Camille said as she followed the blonde girl out. “What-what are you doing?”

“I have an idea,” she said simply. She walked up to the nurses’ station. “Can some of you come watch Cameron? And also call in the chaplain from downstairs?” A brunette behind the counter nodded.

“Kirsten, what the hell are you doing?” asked Camille as she trailed behind her.

“I told you, I have an idea.”

She grabbed her arm. “Stop! Tell me what’s going on,” she demanded.

“I’m going to marry Cameron right now. Now, excuse me while I go borrow the rings from the sweet couple next door to him.” She ripped her arm out of Camille’s grip and continued on with her mission.

When she returned to the room, there were quite a few more people there than before. Fisher showed up, two nurses were standing by (one noting Cameron’s vitals), and the chaplain was there with his bible. She squeezed her way through back to her seat next to Cameron. “We’re getting married. I’ve got rings, a minister, and more than enough witnesses.”

Cameron looked at her with confusion. “R-right here?  I-in the hospital?” She nodded furiously. “Okay.” He smiled and looked over to the chaplain. “Whenever you’re ready.”

The chaplain walked up, beginning to speak and ramble off a few bible verses. Kirsten couldn’t keep her eyes off Cameron, and him the same. They exchange basic wedding vows, exchange rings, then got a special blessing. Everyone in the room was laughing softly along with crying. They were all so happy, so sad, and so amused at their little ceremony; it was only something Kirsten Clark would think to do.

“By the power invested in me the state of California, you are now husband and wife,” the chaplain said proudly.

Kirsten leaned over the bar and kissed Cameron deeply yet carefully. Their small crowd clapped softly. Cameron used his good arm to reach up and cup Kirsten’s cheek. After a long kiss, they pulled apart. “I love you, Cameron,” whispered Kirsten.

Cameron breathed heavily. “I love you, too, Stretch.” The room was silent. All their eyes (except for Kirsten’s) were on the heart monitor. The beeps and bumps were getting slower. Cameron brushed his thumb over Kirsten’s cheek, wiping away the tears. “I-I have one last thing to say to you.”

Kirsten nodded, thinking it was just another thing to add to the ceremony.

“I…love you forever…f-forever and always…” His voice was almost too low to hear; only Kirsten could hear the words clearly. “Please…just remember…e-even if I’m not there…I’ll always love you…Forever and always…” The hand he had on her cheek slowly started to fall.

_Flatline_.

“Cameron…?” She picked up his hand and held it tightly. “Cameron!” she yelled. Why wasn’t anyone doing anything? “Somebody, do _something_!” she yelled louder, looking at the crowd.

“He signed a DNR, Kirsten,” Maggie said.

“What…?”

“They can’t do anything.”

The two nurses in there began to run through their procedure.

“No…no. _No!_ No, y-you have to do something!” She was hysterical, beginning to pump his chest. “Cameron, you can’t leave me! _No!_ ”

Camille was the first to try and pull Kirsten away but was too weak against the sadness and anger flooding Kirsten Clark’s body. Fisher walked over, bear-hugging her from behind and pulling her away. She thrashed around in his arms, trying to break free of his tight grip. It didn’t help.

After all the cords and IVs were removed, the nurses began to pull a sheet over Cameron.

“No!” Kirsten screamed one last time. She broke free and ran over to Cameron. She touched his now cold body carefully. “I’m so, so sorry, Cameron…” she whispered, her tears falling onto his face. “I’ll always love you, forever and always, too.” She kissed his numb, blue lips for the last time before allowing him to be covered.

She walked backwards into Fisher who once again hugged her tightly. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and guided her out, the rest of the small, mismatched family following.

The words repeated over and over again in her head:

“ _I love you forever, forever and always. Please just remember, even if I’m not there, I’ll always love you…”_

Forever and always.

**Author's Note:**

> (Link to song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0pbW-fUWLI )
> 
> Kudos, comments, and critiques are always welcomed and greatly appreciated.
> 
> I really do hope you liked this super sad piece. Again, please don't kill me.


End file.
